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(No Model.)

J. W. STEVENS. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BOILERS 0R WATER TANKS.

Patented May 13, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JOEL \V. STEVENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND ROBERTBINES, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING BOILERS OR WATER-TANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,633, dated May 13,1890.

Application filed January 20, 1890. Serial No. 337,497. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL XV. STEVENS, residing at Chicago, county ofCook, State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Feeding ioilersor ater-Tanks, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a sideelevation showing the manner of applying my improvements, and Fig. 2 isa central vertical section through the valve.

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding boilers or water-tanksof the class shown in Letters Patent No. 405,615, granted to me June18,1889; but itmay be applied to other constructions.

The object of my invention is to provide means for regulating the amountof backpressure necessary to close the valve in apparatus of this class,which I accomplish as illustrated in the drawings, and as hereinafterdescribed.

That which I claim as new will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A represents a tank; B, a boiler; C, a pump; D, anair-chamber; E, a

water-su 'iply pipe leading to the pump; F, a-

C from the boiler 15, and J a valve-case in the pipe I.

The arrangement of the tank, boiler, pump, and pipes connected therewithmay be varied to suit the building in which the apparatus is located.The boiler may be any style of boiler, and the tank A may be situated atany elevation. The discharge-pipes G and H may be provided with anysuitable discharge-eontrolling devices, such as the floats shown in myformer patent. The flow of water from the pipe F may be to the boilerBthrough the pipe II, or to the tank Athrough the pipe G, the pipes G and11 being provided with suitable valves 9 h, respectively, to control theflow, as desired.

a is a valve in the case J. As shown, it seats upward against a seat inthe case J, to

shut off the steam from the boiler to the pump. The arrangement shown ofthe valve and its case is the best known to me, and in most instanceswill be found the most convenient; but it is evident that the form ofcase J and the arrangement of its inlet and outlet ports may be variedto suit adifferent arrangement of the pipe I.

b is a piston connected with the stem of the valve a. This piston islocated in a tube or cylinder 0, coupled to the valve-ease J, as shown;but it is evident that the cylinder 0 and valve-case J may be madeintegral.

(1 is a pipe leading from the discharge-pipe E into the cylinder 0beyond the piston Z), as shown in Fig. 2.

c is a spring supported upon a screw-threaded rod f, which passesthrough a cap on the end of the cylinder or tube 0. This spring 6 abutsagainst the head 2' on the inner end of the rod f and against a supportj, secured upon the piston b. The supportj should be at a sufficientdistance from the piston b to allow the valve to open and close, and topermit the rod f and spring thereon to be adjusted, as hereinafter setforth. The valve, valve-stem, piston, and spring, which are the onlyparts which move in operation, are wholly within the valve-case andcylinder, and an adjusting-rod is the only part which projects throughthe ease or cylinder. This construe tion obviates the use of astuffing-box and protects the movable parts from outside in terferenee.

The valve a will be opened by the steam in the pipe I to start the pump,and willbe closed by. the back-pressure of the water on the piston Z) tostop the pump, as described in my former patent.

The steam in the pipe I holds the valve a in my improved device open,while its press pressure in the pipe F, and consequently upon the pistonb, will depend upon the length of the pipe and the height of its watercolumn. The valve might be closed by the Weight of the water column orgreat back-pressure in the pipe F before the tank was filled and when itwas desired to have the pump stop. I overcome enough of this largeconstant back-pressure by means of the spring e,whose tension must beovercome before the piston b is moved to close the valve a, to cause thevalve to be closed when the back-pressure reaches a certain point. Theamount of the back-pressure Will vary with the pressure in the boiler B,and when the water in the tank A is under pressure it will also varywith the pressure in the tank A. The pressure of the steam on the valveWill also vary with the pressure of the steam in the boiler. To overcomethese variations, I adjust the tension of the spring e by means of thescrew-threaded rod f, as may be required.

It will be seen that any increase in the back-pressure can becompensated for by the spring 6, and any variationin the steam-pressureor back-pressure can be quickly compensated for by adjusting the spring6 by means of the rod f, and that the relation of pressure andback-pressure can be adjusted by means of the spring and rod to allowthe valve to open or close at any desired point.

In some instances a weight may be used instead of a spring.

WVhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a Water-receiving vessel and a supply-pumpconnected therewith, of avalve-section located in the steamsupply pipeof the pump, normally held open by the steam-pressure and adapted to beantomatically closed by the back-pressure from the Water-supply pipe tothe tank to cut off the steam-supply, and a spring for overcoming a partof the back-pressure, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, With a Water-receiving Vessel and a supply-pipeconnected therewith, of a valve-section located in the steam-supply pipeof the pump, normally held open by the steam-pressure, and adapted to beautomatically closed by the back-pressure from the Water-supply pipe tothe tank to cut off the steam-supply, a spring for overcoming a part ofthe back-pressure, and means for adj usting the tension of the spring,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a valve-case and valve therein, of a cylinderand piston in said cylinder for closing the valve by back-pressurethereon, an adj ustingro'd projecting through the cylinder, and a springin said cylinder abutting against the piston and rod, whereby the amountof back-pressure necessary to close the valve may be regulated,substantially as specified.

JOEL W. STEVENS.

\Vitnesses:

ALBERT I-I. ADAMS, HARRY T. J ONES.

